In her book In Love, Amy Bloom's husband, Brian Ameche, decides to end his life prematurely, before his Alzheimer's disease becomes too debilitating.

Being Americans, they first explored taking advantage of laws in the US allowing physician-assisted suicide, also known as death with dignity. This option first became available in Oregon in 1997, and has since become legal in 10 states and the District of Columbia. A 2018 Gallup poll indicates that 72% of Americans support allowing terminally ill individuals the choice to end their lives painlessly through physician-prescribed lethal medication.

The laws vary a little from state to state, but they generally have the same criteria. A person must be at least 18 years old, capable of making and communicating health care decisions for themselves, and have been diagnosed with a terminal illness that will lead to death within six months. They must also be residents of the state in which they're seeking treatment. If someone meets those ...